The Princess and The Shepherd
by Snow Whitex Prince Charming
Summary: AU: Snow White had been betrothed to Prince James since birth, but a shephard boy might change that.
1. Chapter 1

_Once upon a time there was a king named Leopold who ruled a large and mighty kingdom. And yet, he was sad for he was growing old and had no child to inherit the throne. Then, happily, a daughter was born… A princess. And she was given the name Snow White. Kings and Queens came from all around to offer their gifts to the child. Among them were the widowed King George and his young son, Prince James. It was then that Leopold and Gorge happened upon the same idea. James and Snow White would be brought together each summer in hopes that they would fall in love and join their kingdoms forever._

* * *

"King Gorge, how good to see you" Leopold said dismounting his steed Cavallo, and helping his young daughter down from the mighty beast.

"And who might this strapping young man be? Young Prince James, no doubt." Leopold continued

"Welcome to our fair kingdom, King Leopold. And to you, young princess. Go on, James." When the boy didn't budge George chuckled.

"Go on…"

"Father!" James groaned

"James!" King George hissed, James walked up to the little girl with lips red as blood, hair black night and skin white as snow an exact replica of her mother the late Queen Eva.

"Hello, Princess Snow White. I'm very pleased to meet you." James muttered

"Pleased to meet you, Prince James." Little Snow said curtsying. James walked away

"James!" His father hissed James trudged back and kissed Snow's hand

"Yuck!" _I can't believe I'm stuck with her all summer I'll bet she doesn't wrestle, hunt or box! _James thought. _He looks conceited _though young Snow

_What a total bummer!_ Concluded James

_If I get lucky I'll get chicken pox_ both children thought

"So happy you could come" James lied through his teeth

"So happy to be here" _How I'd like to run_

"This is not my idea"

"This isn't my idea"

"Of fun."

* * *

"The children seem to get along quite nicely," King George said later in his study.

"Yes" King Leopold agreed

"We'll join our lands if this arrangement clicks."

"My dear King Leopold, that's my point precisely" King George said

"It's such good parenting," mused King Leopold

"And politics So happy we agree" said George

"I think we've got a deal James' quite a catch."

"That he is" agreed the boy's father

"This is my idea of a match."

* * *

Four summers later Leopold stared up at his daughter who was on her balcony.

"Good heavens, child, don't dawdle We can't keep James waiting!" The old king cried

"I haven't packed or washed my hair And father, I get seasick!" Whined ten-year-old Snow. Across the sea James was having a conversation quite similar to Snow and Leopold's King George entered his son's room to find him shooting at a crudely drawn picture of Snow White

"She soon will be arriving Is that respect you're showing?" The King barked

"You make me kiss her hand again I swear I'm gonna be sick!" Replied his son. At the docks James and his father met their visitors.

"One day Prince James will be her intended" King Leopold said

"Splendid" King George agreed.

* * *

Later that summer James and his friend Thomas rushed through the palace young Snow at their heels.

"We've tried all summer but we just can't lose her!" James groaned

"Hey fellas, wait up!" Snow cried

"Quick, put on some speed!" Hissed Thomas the boys raced outside and into their tree house.

"When picking teams or friends I never choose her why must she follow us around?" James groaned

"You'd think she'd take a hint and learn to read" Thomas agreed displaying a sign that said 'No Girls Allowed' outside for Snow to see.

"This really isn't fair" Snow cried

"We really couldn't care" the boys said

"Boys, it's all or none," Snow said kicking a support beam causing the entire tree house to fall down on the three youths.

* * *

Summer was dreaded by Snow and James each blinded by their childish views it was the summer of Snow White's thirteenth year and James a Thomas had snuck away.

"She tries to talk me into playing dress-up and she's always flirting with the castle guards!" James said

"I think you really sorta like her, fess-up" Thomas said elbowing his friend

"I'd like her better if she'd lose at cards" replied James "This isn't my idea of fun."

* * *

Three years later in the dead of winter concerns arose

"What if Snow White doesn't go for the merger?" King Leopold asked King George one rare winter visit.

"Urge her!" Said the fellow king

"We've spent too many years planning this she must go for it!"

* * *

"They don't understand Belle I don't love him!" Snow cried

"For as long as I remember We've been told we'd someday wed Every June until September, all their pushing and annoying hints, I've got bruises with their fingerprints!"

"Prince James is a fine match," said Belle

"I can do much better, I am sure," said Snow

"It's just... he's so immature!"

"Your Highness it's time!" A servant cried Snow sighed

"Good luck" Belle said hugging her friend before she was dragged away.

"And be nice!" Belle called after her. Snow was lead to the grand ballroom and was shoved into the empty space a tall muscular figure of a man was there. He turned and smiled at her it was James. Snow saw him smiling and her knees started to buckle, she saw inside him and her doubts were gone. On the other side of the room James was thinking, _she started out as such an ugly duckling And somehow suddenly became a swan._

"So happy to be here" Snow said curtsying

"'Til now I never knew how lovely you were" James said making Snow blush

"It is you I've been dreaming of" James continued suddenly everyone burst in.

"Arrange the marriage!" Declared James

The crowd cheered and clapped

"Wait!" Snow cried

"What? You're all I ever wanted. You're beautiful!" James said confused

"Thank you. But what else?" Snow said

"What else?" James seemed confused by the question.

"Is beauty all that matters to you?" Snow asked

King Leopold coughed.

"James… What else?" His father prodded

"I, uh… What else is there?"

* * *

"We tried, George. No one can say we didn't try." Leopold said as he and Snow White prepared to leave.

"So it will be an arranged marriage," King George said. But he saw the look in King Leopold's eyes; he would not force his daughter into a loveless marriage.

"Say goodbye, Snow White." Leopold said

"Goodbye." Snow said her voice full of distain

"Goodbye…?"

"Prince James." Snow added King George fixed his son with a stern look.

"Father." The prince groaned

"James!" Hissed the king

"Goodbye, Princess." James said dejectedly as Snow White and her father rode off.

* * *

"What else is there? She says, 'Is beauty all that matters?' And you say, 'What else is there?!'" Cried one of King George's advisers.

"It was dumb, I know." James said

"You should write a book. 'How to Offend Women in Five Syllables or Less'." The adviser said sarcastically as Thomas made his move in their chess game

"Your turn, Prince James." He said

"I didn't know what else to say." James said moving his pawn without thinking.

"Oh! You lost your queen, James." Thomas said making his move

"That's twice in one day!" Muttered the adviser

"Think! You must see something other than Snow White's beauty." He said to the prince

"Of course I don't, William. She's just so beautiful she'll make a fine accessory when she is my wife." James said before turning to Thomas

"Checkmate!" He said taking the fellow prince's king.

_**TADA! Yes I stole from Swan Princess a bit but I swear it will be different. Please review!**_

_**P.S. "Prince James" is not Charming if you can't tell by her arrogant, sexsist, narrow- minded point of veiw... yeah... I don't like Prince James...**_


	2. Chapter 2

"I – I just don't understand… What else did you want him to say?" King Leopold asked his daughter as they rode home in their carriage.

"I need to know that he loves me for just being me." Snow said

"Oh father, please understand. When I marry I want it to be like you and Mama's was... for love." King Leopold looked at his daughter sadly

"I understand my girl, I understand perfectly." Just then their riding party came to a stand still

"Whoa! Whoa." A guard cried

"Stay inside, Snow White." Leopold said as he got out to investigate. Her father had only been gone a few minutes before the carriage door was wrenched open Snow expected to see her father, but was stunned to find a dark knight

"You're coming with us princess" the knight said

"I'd rather die first" Snow snapped darting out her side of the carriage and running, there was utter chaos everywhere, all her father's men where unhorsed, some lay dead on the ground, and the horses where in a frenzy. Snow lunged for a spooked horse's reigns she pulled herself up onto the beast's back kicking a dark knight in the face as she did so.

"Yah!" Snow shouted kicking her horse into a full gallop, King Leopold, who was in a loosing sword fight, saw his daughter and shouted out to her

"Run Snow, run!" And then she was gone.

* * *

Meanwhile back at King George's palace, Prince James was called to the bailey he was surprised to see a injured man amongst his guard. It was King Leopold's captain!

"What happened?" James demanded

"We… We were attacked. By Queen Regina's men…" the man panted

"Snow White!" James gasped as he grabbed the reigns of a nearby horse.

"James! Wait!" William cried but it was too late the prince was gone. The prince raced to the battlefield his heart beating wildly in his chest like a caged bird.

"Snow! Snow? Snow White!" James yelled just then he heard a moan and spotted a injured King Leopold

"Oh! King Leopold…" James sank to his knees at the older man's side.

"James… I…" the king groaned in pain

"They came so quickly… Queen Regina's… men."

"Where is Snow White?" James asked

"She got away... my darling daughter... I beg of you James... find her." Rasped the king who was very close to death.

"I will King Leopold, where is she?" James asked

"Snow… Snow is…" the king's eyes became glassy

"Eva... my love come back to me at last..." and then he slipped away.

"King Leopold, King Leopold!" James shouted but it was too late. Gently closing the king's eyes James looked up at the heavens above him.

"I swear by the stars above, I will find her if it's the last thing I do. I will find you Snow White!"

_**Keep in mind Prince Idiot (I'm calling him that from now on) wants to find her because he sees her as a political pawn HE DOES NOT LOVE HER! Review please!**_


	3. Chapter 3

Snow White did not stop riding well into the next day. By the time her horse finally slowed both riding and beast were dead tired and needed rest, the beast slowed to a walk as they rode through a wide pasture with rolling lush green hills. _This would be pretty_ Snow thought _if I wasn't running for my life!_ Suddenly something startled her horse, the animal reared throwing Snow and running away. Snow lay on the ground and groaned in pain.

"Are you ok?" Someone asked running up to her Snow squinted against the bright sun light until she could make out who the person was, it was a man with long hair and blue eyes in a shepherds garb. Snow White gasped in shock.

"_You_!" She said fumbling for something to hit him with so she could get away. Her hand landed on a rock, Snow grabbed it and swung.

"Ow!"

"What the hell are you doing here… dressed like that?" Snow demanded scrambling to his feet

"You hit me in the face with a rock!" He cried stunned

"How the hell did you find me?" Snow snapped noting the blood on his chin.

"Listen _princess_ you are on _my_ land, therefore _I _should be asking the questions!" Snow was taken aback no one had ever spoken to her so sharply before.

"Well aren't you a real _Prince Charming. _How dare you use such a tone with me!" Snow snapped scandalized

"You hit me in the face with a _rock_, I think I can speak to how ever I please!" Snow's jaw dropped stunned

"Ok, first of all, what's your name?" The shepherd boy asked

"Sn- Snow. Snow White." Snow said still stunned.

"As in _Princess Snow White?_" The shepherd boy cried in horror, Snow nodded

"Forgive me, Your Highness. I did not realize it was you." The Shepard boy said kneeling before her,"It's quite alright," Snow said calmly"I've told you my name, what is yours?" The shepherd boy looked up at her with eyes and blue as oceans and said with a crooked smiled"They call me David."

* * *

David led Snow back to the small house he shared with his mother, his cheek stung from when Snow had struck him in the face with the rock, and he was very aware he was bleeding from the chin. His mother was going to have a cow. As they reached the house his mother came out, she instantly spotted the blood.

"Oh my gods, David what happened?" She cried

"I uh-" David fumbled for a lie, something she would believe.

"He fell, wasn't watching what he was doing while chasing a sheep" Snow said flawlessly. David was slightly stunned who knew Snow White could lie!

"I'm sorry dear," his mother said seeing Snow for the first time

"Where are my son's manners today, David aren't you going to introduce us?" His mother said

"O- Of coarse, Mother this is-" Snow stepped on David's foot shutting him up.

"Mary. My name is Mary." Snow smiled

"It's a pleasure to meet you Mary, I'm Ruth" David's mother smiled.

"Are you new to the village dear? I've never seen you around these parts before" _Ha! Let's see you get out of this one princess_ David thought

"I am just a traveler separated from her group, I was hoping to find some lodging until morning" Snow said smoothly. _Damn! _David was disappointed he hadn't got to see the princess squirm.

"Well you must stay with us!" His mother said

"_What?_" David cried not realizing he had said it out loud.

"David!" His mother scolded before turning to Snow

"Forgive my son Mary he sometimes doesn't think before he speaks." Snow smiled warmly

"Of coarse,"

"Well dinner is ready both of you go wash up and we'll eat" David's mother said

"Thank you madam" Snow said

"Please it's Ruth"

"Thank you Ruth" David's mother went inside and Snow turned to David

"I like your mother _Charming_" she smirked

"I told you it's David"

"Don't care, I like _Charming_ better" Snow said as she went to go wash up.

_**YAY! They met! And YAY! She's already calling him Charming!**_


End file.
